


Soul Mates

by shines97



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Coffee Shops, M/M, soul mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-23
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-01-15 17:03:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1312513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shines97/pseuds/shines97
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern!AU in which magic is rare but considered normal and sorcerers and sorceresses have soulmates, an other half that completes them and helps them master their powers. After having lost his other half at the age of 20 and spending the following five years trying to get back to a normal life, Merlin decides (grudgingly) that it’s time for him to finally go to a college for people like him to get his magic back under control and maybe even find his new soulmate. And when he meets a boy with hair like gold and eyes the color of the ocean he figures that, hell, maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Seeing as this has been brought up, I've decided to explain CEP to you: Yes, it's a college. No, it's not like any other college. No, that doesn't make it a high school. CEP is more like a training programme for people with magic who want to learn how to properly control their powers. Only a handful of people who are lucky enough to be awarded a scholarship go to CEP each year - Merlin was accepted because he could barely control his magic and it was starting to put the people around him in danger. The acceptance process is simple: You submit your high school diploma, a short résumé and a letter explaining why you want to go to CEP to the administration office and wait (and pray). Merlin's letter convinced the headmaster - who decides who is admitted each year - that he had to be taught how to control his powers. The headmaster controls everything at CEP, he has given himself that privilege but sees it as his duty. He founded CEP when he was a young man himself who didn't know how to control his magic and therefore wants to make sure that everything at CEP is above-standard. He decides what the students have to learn and what classes they have to take - there are a few elective subjects, however. These are the classes Merlin and Arthur don't have in common. This "almighty" headmaster and the fixed schedule for every student at CEP might make it seem like a high school but it's far from being one. It's simply designed to offer the best magical education for every student.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin Emrys, a young sorcerer from a small town in England, is worried about his magic. After losing his soulmate he hasn't been able to control it like he should - he knows he has to act. So, after a year (or maybe two, he wasn't counting) of lying around his apartment, mourning the loss of his best friend and soulmate, he decides that the only way to get his magic under control is to go to college.

_Somebody tell me why I’m on my own_

_if there’s a soul mate for everyone._

 

Even bloody Natasha Beddingfield has written a song about it. Sure, it’s bordering on being rather old but still, lately it’s like the whole world is singing, writing, even _dancing_ about his misery.

A sorcerer without his soul mate is pretty much useless. Of course, you can still do cool tricks and you’re always the most popular guest at parties ("Ooooh, do that again!") but try doing something _really_ cool like building an ice castle like this girl Elsa did in "Frozen". Feels a bit like trying to build a sand castle with your feet in the middle of a sand storm.

Aside from the fact that your magic is no good as long as you’re not complete there’s also the constant fear. Some people claim you only have one soul mate in all your life – which is proven to be bollocks. But when you’re 24, going on 25, like Merlin is, and you’re still not complete you start to wonder. Where are they? Are they okay? Damn it, do they even exist or am I just chasing a dream?

Soul mates aren’t like boyfriends or girlfriends or anything romantic. Well, they don’t have to be at least. You can be into girls and be soul mates with a boy or be into boys and be soul mates with a girl or be into cats for all that he cares and be soul mates with … well, no animal, that much he knows. But what they all have in common is that they’re everything that matters. Sure, you can fall in love with somebody else, truly fall in love with someone, the kind of love where you feel like you could move mountains or lift airplanes with your little finger just to keep your love safe. But your soul mate is your other half, they’re a part of you. And you just don’t feel complete until you’ve found them. He should know.

Merlin had a soul mate once.

They connected when they were just twelve years old. His name was Will. Cool kid. They grew up together and had been inseparable ever since he could remember. Merlin always knew he had magic but Will was sort of oblivious to his powers. He was really good though once he realized them. Managed to let rainbow-colored sparks fly from his fingertips without setting anything on fire, even at the age of 6 and with no soul mate. Not yet.

They’d always been what you would call a dynamic duo. Their poor mothers. Really, they were horrible kids. Always getting into trouble and pulling pranks. It wasn’t until five of The Eldest, the heads of the magic population, arrived that they realized just how astoundingly good those little magic pranks they pulled together actually were for two 12-year-old, incomplete boys.

It all happened pretty quickly. The Eldest paid them a visit and Will and Merlin went off to hide in this huge, old oak tree that stood next to his house. They were terrified, to be honest, but they were just kids and there were creepy looking, ancient people clad in flowing crimson robes in Merlin's house with their hoods pulled up so far you could barely make out the tips of their noses.

They found the two of them in two seconds, of course. One moment they’re sitting on a branch, holding their breaths and fearing for their lives and the next they’re standing in Merlin’s living room with shaky knees, facing The Eldest. The five were looking at them until one of them averted his gaze to nod at Merlin’s mother. And just like that they suddenly were out in the open. It was an incredibly beautiful place. A green meadow surrounded by weeping willows - absolutely quiet. No birds, no insects, not even the slightest hint of a breeze. In the middle of the meadow there was a stone pillar, maybe four feet high, covered in moss and delicate runes.

When you’re supposed to connect you just know it. Merlin didn’t even so much as glance at Will as he went up to the pillar and pressed his palm against its rough, cold surface. Will’s hand was next to Merlin’s in the blink of an eye. And then there was fire.

Literal fire. When you’re connecting there’s a sort of electrical storm that basically explodes around you, pure energy and magic, two halves melting together. Well, their magic ball of energy hit a tree. It was quite a sight, really. The Eldest nodded mysteriously and disappeared, Merlin’s mum started crying and alternately clapping her hands and clutching her chest, Will and Merlin exchanged a grin and a high-five, while backing away from the burning tree.

“Now don’t just stand there,” Hunith complained in between happy sobs, pointing at the blazing willow, “do something about it!” Merlin was almost certain she had gone crazy and was about to tell her that two incomplete teenage sorcerers couldn’t possibly put out a fire without starting four other ones when it hit him.

He looked at Will. They exchanged another grin, turned to the tree and raised their hands in unison. And for the first time ever their magic behaved itself.

The two soul mates had another eight eventful years together, full of adventures and pranks (only these were a lot better now). Will found a girl and Merlin got a job offer in London so the three of them moved there after they’d turned twenty. Merlin feels terrible about it but he can’t remember Will’s girlfriend’s name, let alone her face. All he knows is she was an extremely sweet girl and good for Will but after what happened she turned away from Merlin. He can’t say that he blames her though. Must have been hard to lose the love of your life yet still see half of him every day in his best friend.

Will died in a fire. They say it was caused by the wiring or something, Merlin can’t remember. The fire started in the back of the complex, down the hallway his office was on. He smelled the smoke and sensed the danger and went to put it out. No big deal, really. Fires were his thing. He loved controlling and playing around with it. But when he opened the door and entered the burning room, the cupboard next to the door collapsed and hit him on the back of his head, hard.

A moment later, Merlin, in the other end of town, started screaming. He had no idea what had happened, that Will had died. All he could feel was pain, immense pain. Imagine all your blood freezing, every cell of your body bursting, every square inch of your skin being torn apart. Like the very core of your body was being ripped out of you and all you want to do is pass out or die but you can’t, you can’t and it just won’t stop.

After a good two hours the pain subsided. Merlin doesn’t remember much of what happened after that, only that he ended up in his apartment somehow and didn’t leave it for the following year. Hunith was incredibly worried about her son. She probably still is but she’d never admit it. She might even think he’s suicidal - he’s not though. Truth is, Merlin doesn’t quite know what he is. He’s not okay, he’s not over what happened and he doesn’t think he ever really will be – Will was his soul mate after all and losing him was as if a part of Merlin had died with him in that fire. But he’s managing, or at least that’s what he likes to think. He found a new job, made new friends, even started going out and having a good time every once in a while. But just because he’s acting like everything’s back to normal doesn’t mean it is. Merlin’s magic is out of control. He wouldn’t even dare try to make a feather fly through the air, he’d probably end up flooding all of London or something.

He spent the past three, almost four years trying to figure out what to do next. Well, no. Merlin always knew what he had to do next but he just kept putting it off to another day and coming up with the most ridiculous excuses why he couldn’t do it. But now Merlin's about to turn 25, his magic is going haywire and he feels so bloody incomplete that he just can’t put it off any longer.

This is it. He’s going to New York.

Merlin’s going to college.


	2. Up and Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin has made up his mind - he's going to college. His head full of worries and fear as well as excitement, he arrives in New York with his best friend Gwen. Finding himself at his new college for the first time, he runs into a young man - quite literally - who might make his days in class a little less pleasant.

“But what if nobody likes me? I mean I’m going to be the new guy and for all I know-“

“Merlin.”

“-they could be complete idiots! Or what if I get lost on my way there? I-“

“Merlin!”

“-don’t know anything about New York! And what if they make fun of me because I’m British?”

“Merlin!” Gwen repeats, laughing. “Now you’re just being ridiculous!”

“Seriously, though, have you looked at us?” he whines, pointing at the coffee table next to them. “We’re having tea and crumpets!”

Gwen just snorts and slaps his arm playfully. “Come on now, Merlin. It’s not like they don’t have tea in New York.”

“Well, of course, but not as much,” he argues, taking a sip of his tea. He sighs contently. “And definitely not as good.”

Gwen shifts on his old sofa, pulling her legs towards her chest. She puts her head on her knees and looks at Merlin with wide, brown eyes.

“You really have nothing to worry about, Merlin,” she begins for the fifth time this afternoon, placing a soothing hand on Merlin’s leg that’s stretched out next to her. He can’t help but smile. Gwen deserves an award, really. This is the third times this week he’s called her over to his flat in a fit of desperation. He just can’t seem to shake off his doubts and worries. Going to New York had seemed like a reasonably good idea a month ago but now that his first day of college is approaching, meaning he’ll actually have to leave London and not just talk about doing it, he’s not so sure anymore.

“But what about my mum?” Merlin asks her quietly.

Gwen cocks her head and sighs. “Hunith will act like every other mother that has to watch her son leave for college. She’ll cry, she’ll smile, she’ll kiss you off and then call you every day for the first three weeks to make sure you’re eating your greens.”

Merlin chuckles. “Yeah, that sounds like her.”

They sit in comfortable silence for a while, only moving to reach for their cups and another crumpet.

“So what are you going to do while I’m gone?” Merlin asks Gwen after a while.

Gwen nibbles on her crumpet, lost in thought. “Well …,” she starts. She takes a sip of tea and licks her lips. “I’ve been thinking.”

Merlin waits. “Yes?”

“Okay, this is going to sound completely absurd.” Gwen looks up from behind her cup, looking for a trace of mockery in Merlin’s eyes. When she finds none she sighs. _So much sighing today_ , Merlin thinks.

“I think I’m going to go to New York with you.”

Merlin nearly chokes on his tea. He takes a moment to process this information before the widest and, quite possibly, silliest smile spreads across his face. “You’re serious?” he asks Gwen incredulously.

“Yes. I mean, I think so. Oh, I don’t know …” She trails off, picking at Merlin’s sofa absentmindedly with her left hand. “It’s just … they have this really great art school there and I was thinking … I might actually want to do this. You know, for a living.”

It’s Merlin who takes Gwen’s hand now. He holds it in both of his palms and squeezes it encouragingly. “This,” he states, “is by far the most brilliant idea I’ve heard in a long time.”

Gwen beams at him but her smile falters after a short while. “I don’t think I’ll get in, though. From what I’ve heard, they’re incredibly picky.”

“Hey, no, stop right there. Don’t you doubt  your talent for a second, you hear me?” Merlin squeezes her hand again. “Not for a second. You have so much potential!” He brushes a lock of hair behind her ear and _boops_ her nose.

Gwen laughs, shaking her head in a mixture of disbelief and embarrassment. “You did not just really do that,” she says, more of a statement than a question.

Merlin laughs, letting go of her hand and leaning back. “I’m serious, you know?” he begins. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. They’d be stupid not to take you.”

“Well, I won’t start until next year, anyway. I missed the deadline.”

“Oh. So you’re not coming to New York with me after all?” Merlin asks, his earlier excitement starting to fade at the prospect of being alone in a strange city. Gwen bites her lips, looking for words.

“No, I think … I mean, yes.”

Merlin looks at her blankly. “Right, I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

Gwen laughs nervously and hugs her knees. “Yes, I will be going to New York with you. I’ll have to look for a job anyway so I can afford a flat and the school, so I might as well start looking now. And,” she takes a deep breath and finishes her sentence in a rush, “I’ve always wanted to move to New York.”

Merlin is surprised. “Really? You never told me.”

“Yes, well, I thought people would think I’m crazy, aiming too high and so on. But ever since I was a little girl I’ve always wanted to move to New York. It’s like the city’s calling out for me. I don’t know how to describe it.” She takes a break and sighs once again. “I just really want to live in New York.”

Merlin smirks slightly. This is so … _Gwen_. Holding onto a dream and never giving up on it. Merlin never could follow through with his plans and aspirations. But then again, he’s never had any great plans up until now.

Merlin raises his cup of tea. “To New York!” he exclaims with a triumphant expression on his face. Gwen laughs, raising her cup to his. “To New York!” she repeats.

\-----*-----

About a month later, the smell of Thai food welcomes Merlin as he enters his mother’s house and makes his mouth water. Hunith’s cooking is one of the many things Merlin is really going to miss when he’s in New York. No more last-minute trips to the countryside for dinner with his mum, no more of Hunith’s surprise visits where she’d bring him apple pie, no more – he sniffs the air – no more Pad Thai à la Hunith. His stomach grumbles as he takes off his shoes and jacket and walks into the living room.

After all that’s happened to Merlin in his life so far, his mother is the one person who can always lift his spirits. She is his anchor in the hurricane that has become his life. Nothing has changed in the small house he grew up in. The rose he painted with his fingers as a birthday present for Hunith when he was four years old is still up on the wall, surrounded by several other drawings and photographs. He moves up to the wall, taking a closer look at all the pictures and chuckles. His first day of school. Will and Merlin had had to wear a suit and tie for that occasion. He remembers hating the fabric of the shirt, it kept scratching his skin. Looking at the photograph now, Merlin can’t help but smile. They look so incredibly innocent, two little boys dressed up in their Sunday best – but just a second after Hunith had taken their picture he’d snapped his fingers and made his suit disappear, changing it for a pair of sweatpants and a batman t-shirt. Looking back, the fact that he was able to do stuff like that when Will was around, even as a boy, should have been a sign. Hunith had probably known they were soul mates all along but Merlin and Will just thought magic was cool.

“I should have been angry with you that day,” Hunith chides Merlin playfully as she enters the living room. She’s got her hair up in a bun and an apron thrown over her arm. “The first day of school and you were running around in sweatpants that had holes in them and a Superman t-shirt.”

“Batman.”

Hunith waves her hand dismissively. “They’re all the same to me.” She smiles at her son affectionately and pats him on the shoulder. “Come on now, dinner is ready.”

Sitting at the big mahogany table feels right. Its surface has been scratched and painted over several times, the edges and corners are worn and splintered and his initials are still where he carved them more than fifteen years ago. _M.E._ Merlin Emrys. He smiles, thinking about how he made those carvings appear just by willing them to. If he tried doing that now there would either be no effect at all or a massive catastrophe, like the table coming to life and trampling everything and everybody in its path. Not like that had happened before.                           

“Gaius told me to warn you about the college’s head secretary,” Hunith remembers as she places a plate overflowing with exotic smelling food in front of Merlin. He inhales deeply through his nose, forcing himself to remember this smell for as long as it takes him to learn how to cook this himself. He really needs to ask his mum for the recipe before he goes to New York.

He exhales slowly, opening eyes he didn’t realize he’d closed. “And why is that?”

“He says she’s a bit moody but most of the time she’s just bored and won’t bother you,” she states matter-of-factly.

“Wonderful,” Merlin jokes, “an unmotivated secretary as my welcoming committee.”

“Oh, nothing to worry, I’m sure,” Hunith adds quickly. “Gaius just asked me to tell you to try and keep your head down for the first couple of weeks. You’re going to be the new kid after all and the new kid always attracts attention. And, you know, this college is a pretty … well, not _posh_ place. But it’s full of rich parents’ sons and daughters who grew up getting what they wanted. And when a stranger comes and takes away their spotlight they won’t be too pleased.”

“Great,” Merlin mumbles. Being the topic of conversation has never been something he enjoyed. He has always liked sticking to the background, watching others get lost in conversation and arguments but keeping out of them himself. “So, what you’re trying to tell me is that I am going to be the center of attention whether I like it or not but that I should try my best _not_ to be the center of attention because otherwise some rich prat will make my time in college feel like hell?”

Hunith smiles sympathetically.

“Great,” Merlin repeats.

“Don’t lose any sleep over it, I’m sure everything’s going to be fine. Gwen’s coming with you after all, isn’t she?”

Merlin smiles brightly at that. “Yeah. Yeah, she is.” He lifts a forkful of Pad Thai to his mouth and savors the taste. Yes, he _definitely_ has to learn how to cook this as soon as possible.

“She says she’s going to look for a job there, get a small flat and then apply at the New York Academy of Art next year,” he mumbles through a mouthful of food.

“Oh, that’s lovely!” Hunith comments excitedly. “They would be fools not to take her, really. She shows so much promise!”

“That’s exactly what I told her,” Merlin smiles.

His mother chuckles softly as she remembers something.

“What?” Merlin asks with a smirk.

“Do you remember Gwen’s twenty-third birthday?”

Merlin nearly spits out his food, trying not to laugh. He’d completely forgotten.

“Mithian hired a stripper for her,” he says, unable to contain his laughter any longer. “Poor Gwen, she was so embarrassed. She actually shook his hand, thanked him for the show and escorted him to the door,” Merlin laughed.

“Not before she got his number and asked him to model for her,” Hunith giggled.

“I still don’t know if he actually did,” Merlin adds. “Gwen won’t talk about it. I’m pretty sure the stripper thought she was actually asking him out.”

“The poor lad,” Hunith answers with an amused shake of her head.

They spend the rest of the evening enjoying their dinner and reminiscing about old times. The otherwise quiet house is filled with the clinking of glasses and laughter. Time seems to fly by so when Merlin looks up at the old grandfather clock to his right he nearly jumps up.

“It’s three o’clock in the morning!” he exclaims.

“Why, I didn’t even notice,” Hunith replies in surprise. “I suppose you better be off then, you’ve got a plane to catch.”

“Yes,” Merlin huffs, “in exactly five hours!”

\-----*-----

Heathrow Airport is overflowing with people. Families are huddling together or walking in single file, clutching to each other, businessmen are pushing through the crowd with irritated looks on their faces and the building is filled with people calling “Sorry!” and “Excuse me!” and “Pardon!”. Merlin had hoped that it wouldn’t be so busy but it seems like he’s not supposed to be lucky today. He shuffles through the crush of people, careful to glance over his shoulder every once in a while to make sure his mother and Gwen are still behind him. They stop next to the wall where the surge of people isn’t as pressing to find their way.

“Gate 5, was it?” Gwen asks, standing on the tips of her toes to look for a sign telling them which way to go.

“Yeah, I think I … there it is!” Merlin points ahead of them. Gwen groans. “But that’s on the other side! We’ll have to go through … _this_!” she complains, gesturing at the mass of people in front of them. "Again!"

“Come on, we managed to get here, we can do it again,” he tries to motivate her, pulling her by her hand.

“Hold on,” Hunith calls out from behind them. “I’m certainly not fighting my way through this stampede again. Now, you two come here and give me a hug and I’ll be on my way out.”

Merlin smiles kindly at his mother. She’s trying incredibly hard to stay strong but he can see the worry in her eyes.

“Mum,” he says soothingly, placing his hands on her shoulders, “I’m going to be alright. I’ve got Gwen and Gaius to take care of me.” He brushes a thumb over her cheek, catching a single tear. She takes in a shaky breath.

“I know, I know …”, she replies, swatting his hands away only to pull him in for a bone crushing hug. Merlin grunts. Hunith’s hugs had always been … well, firm. But this was a whole new level of hug.

“Mum,” he rasps, “I … can’t breathe.”

Hunith loosens her grip a bit, whispers “Sorry!” and buries her face in his shoulder.

“Hunith,” Gwen starts warily. “We’ve got to get going. We’ll miss our flight.” Merlin’s mother sighs deeply before letting him go and embracing Gwen heartily. “You take good care of my boy,” she tells her. Gwen pulls back, holding her at arm’s length and replies “Of course, Hunith”, hugging her tight one last time and stepping back.

She turns to face Merlin. “Ready?” she asks.

“Absolutely,” he lies.

Gwen and Merlin arrive at Gate 5 forty minutes later and nearly collapse onto the nearest two seats. Normally it would have taken them ten, maybe twenty minutes to get here. But today? He has no idea what all the fuss is about but something important seems to be happening in London today.

“Merlin, look at that!” Gwen nudges his shoulder, pointing at one of the screens. It takes him a minute to understand what the news channel is trying to tell him.

 “Wait, so The Eldest are coming to London?” Merlin asks incredulously.

“Seems like it,” she responds. A small crease appears on her forehead. “Why would they come to London?”

“I have no idea.”

An old lady sitting next to them turns to join their conversation. “My daughter says they’re choosing a new member. There have been rumors that the oldest one has passed away. What was his name again?”

“Wasn’t it Ruadan?” Gwen wonders. Merlin shakes his head. “No,” he corrects her, “I’m pretty sure the oldest one was Lochru.” – “Right”, she chuckles, “the one with the weird name.”

Merlin looks at the lady next to them. “Lochru is dead?”

“Or so my daughter claims. I think she’s right, though. Why else would The Eldest come to London? Their council resides here and only one of them can be chosen as a new member.”

Merlin nods. “Yes, that would make sense … Pity, I liked Lochru.”

“You knew him?” Gwen wonders.

“Well, not really, no. But when … when Will and I connected, he was the only one who didn’t seem indifferent. I’m pretty sure I can recall him smiling at us before he disappeared.”

Gwen hums softly, not wanting to press the topic further. Talking about Will was something everybody tactfully avoided. Merlin was grateful for that.

“Oh, look, the boarding’s begun,” Gwen announces.

“The window seat is mine!” Merlin exclaims with a grin, jogging up to the boarding desk with Gwen at his heels.

The flight is rather unspectacular – eight hours of chatting, sleeping, eating and waiting for the Big Apple’s skyline to appear on the horizon. When it finally does, Merlin shakes Gwen awake, bursting out an excited “There!”. She leans over him to get a glimpse of the skyscrapers and takes in an amazed breath. “Wow,” she whispers, her gaze dreamily fixed on the city.

After snatching their luggage off the conveyor belt they practically bolt out of the airport. They can’t wait for Gaius to show them more of New York.

Where _is_ Gaius?

Gwen scans the crowd in front of them.

“Where did Gaius say he was going to pick us up?”

Merlin looks left and right, turns around several times and, finally, shrugs. “I have no idea.”

Gwen looks at him disapprovingly.

“You forgot to ask where we should wait for him,”  she responds, the disbelief in her voice obvious.

“Yeah, well …”, Merlin begins. “Yeah.”

“Well, thank goodness you won’t be living on your own, then,” Gwen remarks, crossing her arms. “Let’s just hope Gaius has a more organized mind than you do.”

Merlin chuckles. He highly doubts that. From what little he remembers of Gaius, he can say with almost absolute certainty that he tends to be even more confused than Merlin himself. But Gaius is an easily loveable man, incredibly smart and wise and full of such warmth and understanding that you can’t help but like him. He’s really looking forward to living with him. The college has a dorm but Merlin didn’t want to share a room with a complete stranger right away, so Hunith had talked to Gaius and he immediately encouraged Merlin to come and live with him for as long as he needs to. _And Gwen, too_ , he had added when Hunith told him about her plans. _She can stay with me until she finds a place of her own_.

It’s been almost eighteen years since they last saw each other, so Merlin is both incredibly excited and scared. He’s starting to worry that he might not recognize him after all these years when he spots a patch of white hair moving through the crowd in front of them.

“Gaius?” he shouts. Then louder, “Gaius!” waving his arms. The older man stops short, a puzzled expression on his face. He speeds up, now only thirty feet away and a smile lights up his face, crinkling his eyes and nose. “Merlin!” he calls out, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture. They embrace, all earlier worries forgotten, and slap each other’s backs like old friends.

“It’s so good to see you again, boy!”

“You too, Gaius! Merlin smiles and then adds, “Oh, by the way, this is Gwen.”

“Pleasure to meet you, sir,” she says politely, extending her arm to shake his hand. Gaius laughs and pulls her in for a hug.

“No need to call me sir,” he explains kindly, “please, call me Gaius.”

“Well … pleasure to meet you, Gaius,” Gwen corrects herself with a smile, not able to withstand Gaius’ charm and kindheartedness.

“And you,” he replies. “So, you’re the artist?”

“I try to be,” she says with a nervous laugh.

“She’s incredible,” Merlin interjects. “You really are!” he adds when Gwen looks at him skeptically.

“Well, now. I’d better get you home then, so you can unpack,” Gaius announces cheerfully, clapping his hands together and leading them out of the airport.

\-----*-----

Merlin and Gwen spend the next three hours unpacking their stuff and wandering around Gaius’ flat. It is enormous, really. Gwen and Merlin each have their own room and bathroom and the living room is about the size of Merlin’s place back in London. When he asked him what he did for a living, Gaius shrugged and said “I give advice,” with a smirk. He later found out that Gaius was kind of a big deal at the stock exchange. He should have known. People with his charm and persuasive power are either criminals or stockjobbers.

“I’m going to the college’s office now,” Merlin says as he walks out of his room. “They asked me to notify them as soon as I’m in New York so they can give me my schedule.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Gwen asks him from the big, black leather sofa in the middle of the living room.

Merlin shakes his head. “No, it’s okay. You said you wanted to check out this coffee shop around the corner. You should go,” he suggests. She nods in agreement. “S’pose you’re right,” she replies.

Merlin grabs his jacket from the coat stand, a black leather jacket fit for April in New York, slips into his shoes and heads out the door. He’s almost painfully aware of the way the people his age dress in this area: cool yet fancy, elegant yet casual. He feels incredibly underdressed in his pair of skinny blue jeans and plain white t-shirt. The only thing fancy about him is his leather jacket, probably the most expensive piece of clothing he owns. And maybe his black Chuck Taylors, although they’re pretty old and worn out already. He tugs at the small, red scarf around his neck. Neckerchief, his mum always called it. She was always complaining about that little piece of clothing, saying it couldn’t possibly keep him warm. He likes it, though.

When he turns around the corner of the next block he nearly trips over his own feet and has to stop in midstride so as not to accidentally run into a lamp post or fire hydrant.

This is by far the most impressive building Merlin has ever seen. It looks ancient with its countless gargoyles and alcove balconies but as he takes a closer look he sees the huge glass panels covering almost three quarters of the façade. The entrance is framed by two gigantic marble pillars and all Merlin can think is " _This is no ordinary college_."

The inside of the building is just as sensational as the outside. Cream-colored marble floors and walls that resemble sandstone give the three-storey foyer an almost medieval atmosphere. The double door made of glass and chromed steel leading to the administration office on the other hand makes you remember you’re in the twenty-first century.

“Hello,” Merlin nervously greets the woman behind the desk. She’s dressed in a red dress and black blazer, her dark red hair pulled up into a bun. She doesn’t seem to notice him, so, after waiting awkwardly for a minute, he clears his throat.

“Yes?” the woman asks, looking up from her computer screen with as little enthusiasm as you could possibly imagine.

Merlin swallows and clears his throat again.  _Wow_ , Merlin thinks. _Gaius was right._

“Yes, hi. I … um, I’m the new student, Merlin? Merlin Emrys?”

The woman doesn’t move. She doesn’t even blink.

“I was told to come here as soon as … as soon as I arrived in New York,” he concludes, hoping that the woman might react in some way. She does.

“Uh-huh,” she nods. “Hold on a second.”

Merlin stands there silently for around five minutes before she turns back to him, handing him a piece of paper.

“Here’s your schedule. Classes start on Monday, 8AM sharp.”

“Okay, great, cheers,” he babbles, wanting nothing more than to get out of this office. He really hopes the teachers aren’t as bored and unapproachable as this secretary.

He’s still asking himself why on earth secretaries always seem so tired of everything and going through his schedule when he turns around the corner to exit the building and runs into someone else.

“Ow, damn it!”

“Sorry, sorry. My fault,” Merlin apologizes, getting back up on his feet and brushing off the dust from the fall. He holds out his hand to help the other man up.

Blue eyes stare first at him, then his outstretched hand and finally back up at him. The man on the floor rakes the fingers of his left hand through his blonde hair only to smooth it back down. He gets up in one swift motion, completely ignoring Merlin’s help.

“Yeah. Sure as hell was,” he says.

Merlin blinks. “Excuse me?”

The blonde man looks at him as if he was a fool. “Your fault,” he just says.

Merlin drops his hand. “Right,” he replies, voice dripping with sarcasm, “because you’re the only person allowed to walk here and everybody else must watch out for you at all times.”

Merlin looks at him expectantly, waiting for a witty reply or, well, _something_ , but all he gets is a condescending smile and a harsh pat on the shoulder before the other man leaves, intentionally ramming his shoulder and walking towards the glass door across from the administrative office.

Merlin just stares after him, baffled and wondering how on earth anybody could be such a prat. He turns on his heel to walk out the building when he hears someone calling out “Mister Pendragon!”. Merlin almost doesn’t turn around, not bothering to see who this Pendragon is but then changes his mind and looks over his shoulder.

So the blonde bloke is _Mister Pendragon_. He holds back a chuckle when the bored secretary comes running out of the office, shouting “Mister Pendragon!” again and again. The man turns around and flashes one of the brightest (and just as fake) smiles Merlin has ever seen.

 _Yeah_ , Merlin thinks. _This one fits mum’s description of the students around here perfectly._


	3. Coffee, tea?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things in New York are going smoothly. Gwen finds a job at a nice little coffee shop and Merlin makes a friend at college on his first day, Freya. On the downside, Merlin seems to be having some classes in common with Pentagram boy.

“So, they hired you right away?” Merlin asks in astonishment. Gwen beams at him and nods. He raises his eyebrows.

Gwen had just come home from the coffee shop around the corner, jumping excitedly after closing the door behind her and then pulling Merlin up from Gaius’ black leather sofa to dance with him. After she’d finally stopped giggling, Merlin had managed to ask her what the cause of celebration was. Obviously, the owner of the coffee shop had liked her so much that she’d been hired on the spot.

“No interview, no … nothing?” he tries again. Gwen shakes her head.

“Huh.”

Merlin scratches his head. On the one hand he’s extremely confused how that’s even possible but on the other hand he’s incredibly happy for Gwen. He shrugs and smiles at her. _This is New York after all, crazy things happen._

“How did you like it there? I mean, what was your impression of the shop?” he asks, sitting back down on the sofa.

“It’s such a sweet place,” she begins with a smile on her lips. “It’s rather small, there are only around ten tables in the shop, but the atmosphere!” she describes enthusiastically. “Oh, you’d love it, I’m sure. It’s got lots of greens and browns and glass and there’s music softly playing in the background. I think I actually heard them play your favorite band.”

“They played Arctic Monkeys?”

Gwen nods. “What’s that song called?” She starts humming a tune and Merlin joins in after a second.

“Okay,” he declares, “I’m definitely going to visit you there quite often.”

“That would be marvelous,” she answers, sounding genuinely happy. “They said I could start on Monday, so you could visit me after your classes or during your lunch break.”

“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll probably be in dire need of caffeine if all the people at this college are as horrible as the head secretary or this Pendragon boy,” he states with a huff.

“What Pendragon boy?” Gwen asks, creasing her forehead.

“Some blonde bloke. Complete idiot,” he replies, “walks about like he owns the place.”

Gwen pulls up the corner of her mouth sympathetically and slaps his arm playfully. “You know what,” she starts, pulling him up from the sofa once more, “we’ll go explore the city so you can forget about Mister I’m-too-good-for-you.” Leading him to the door, she adds, “We haven’t even seen Times Square yet!”

After wandering around the streets aimlessly for nearly an hour, Gwen and Merlin finally arrive at Times Square. They stop in their tracks in unison, marveling at the sheer size of the plaza. People are running around them, cars are honking in the distance and the neon signs up on the buildings attract their attention, salient despite the fact that it’s a bright April day and the sun is reflected by all the glass buildings, blinding them in a way that is still nice and reminding them of Summer. The place seems to be buzzing with electricity and Merlin can sense magic in the air, encompassing him. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and smiles. _I’m not alone_ _anymore_ , he thinks.

“Isn’t it amazing?” he asks Gwen after a while, opening his eyes again to find that she’s gone off to listen to a half-naked man in a cowboy hat sing and play guitar. He makes his way over to her, chuckling.

“This is _wonderful_!” she exclaims happily, clapping along to the song. “Moving to New York was probably the best idea I’ve ever had!”

They’re just about to start singing along to the chorus of _It’s My Life_ when a voice behind Merlin shouts “Gwen!” She turns around at the call of her name and lights up. “Morgana!”

Merlin watches them embrace heartily and stands there awkwardly while they chat about the weather and people singing their favorite songs on the street.

“I’m so sorry!” Gwen looks at Merlin apologetically, finally introducing him to her friend. “Merlin, this is Morgana. She works at the coffee shop.”

“Nice to meet you,” he says, shaking her hand.

“And you,” she replies. Her grip is firm and her smile warm. Merlin decides that he likes her.

“So you’re Merlin,” she states. “Gwen said she came here with her best friend. You’re at CEP now?”

Merlin nods. He’ll have to get used to the name. _College for extraordinary people._ Sounds a bit boastful but it’s supposed to be the best college for people with magic so he’s not one to complain.

“My best friend goes to CEP, too,” she begins, “you may have met him already. Arthur?”

“Can’t say that I have,” Merlin answers with a slight shake of his head. “I’ve only met two people so far, one of which was the secretary and the other one some spoiled prat. I don’t think he’s the kind of person you’d hang out with,” he laughs. Morgana is far too nice to befriend someone like _Mister Pendragon_.

“Oh, well,” she shrugs. “You’ll meet him sooner or later; he’s sort of a VIP, being the headmaster’s son and all.”

“I better not piss him off, then,” Merlin jokes.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got your back,” she answers, winking at him. “So, were you planning on doing something other than staring at the Naked Cowboy or do you want me to show you New York City?”

\-----*-----

Gwen had been right, walking around New York had helped him forget all about college and his worries. But as he slams a sleepy hand on his alarm clock on Monday moring, staring at the display as if it was responsible for all the evil in this world, it all comes back to him in a rush. Gwen smiles crookedly when Merlin enters the kitchen.

“Sleep well?”

Merlin snorts.

“Oh, it’s going to be fine, you’ll see. I bet not all of the students there are as horrible as this Pentagram boy.”

“Pendragon.”

“Whatever,” she replies, shrugging. “I’m sure you’ll meet some really nice people, too.”

She places scrambled eggs and bacon on his plate and hands him a glass of orange juice. Merlin looks at her in surprise. “You made breakfast?”

“I was up early and figured I might as well do something nice for you before you start your first day of college,” she explains.

Merlin places a kiss on her cheek. “You’re the best.”

They eat their breakfast, talking about New York City, the coffee shop, college and Hunith’s numerous calls, telling Merlin not to forget to wear a jacket. After a while, Merlin pushes back his chair and gets up.

“Right,” he says enthusiastically, all worries forgotten, thanks to Gwen and her cooking skills. “I’d better be off to college then. Thanks for the breakfast!”

“Have fun!” she calls after him as he goes to fetch his jacket.

\-----*-----

Mister Palmer seems like a nice enough teacher. He’s around fifty, maybe sixty years old, wears his curly, gray hair in a ponytail and keeps pushing up his huge glasses on his crooked nose. He is one of those teachers you can’t help but respect, the sort that treat their students like equals rather than minions. He teaches Basic Magic I, Merlin’s first class of the day, and even shook Merlin’s hand when he entered the class room five minutes early, welcoming him to New York.

They’re about to try out some simple things (“We’ll start with marbles,” Mister Palmer had said. “You don’t get much simpler than marbles.”) when the door opens and – _oh, you’re so kidding me_ – the blonde bloke from last time walks into the room.

“Mister Pendragon,” the professor greets him sarcastically, “I see you’ve decided to grace us with your presence after all?”

“Well, you know me,” he replies smugly. “I just couldn’t stand the thought of you lot having all the fun without me.”

Merlin rolls his eyes as the Pendragon boy walks up to the only empty seat left in the room – which just so happens to be directly behind Merlin. He ducks his head as he hears footsteps coming closer. The sound of a chair scraping loudly over the floor fills the big room, echoing off the high, vault like ceiling. Merlin curses his bad luck.

“Alright, everybody, focus on the red marble on your table,” Mister Palmer instructs his students once the class is quiet again. He waits a second before he continues. “Now,” his voice has grown softer and more monotone, “I want you to channel all your thoughts towards that red marble.”

It’s taking all of Merlin’s powers to make sure the marble stays still. He can feel his magic practically shoving against the sphere, wanting to move it around, to make it go up in flames but he’s got it under control for now. He really doesn’t want to make a fool out of himself on his first day.

“Good,” Mister Palmer carries on. “I want you to roll the marble towards the edge of your desk once you think you’re ready. Don’t rush it.”

Merlin closes his eyes, trying to forget everything around him. His magic is flowing through his veins, buzzing in anticipation. It’s been a long time since Merlin has used his powers for fear of causing some serious damage.

A triumphant chuckle (Or was it a snort? Merlin couldn’t tell the difference.) causes him to open his eyes in annoyance.  He had been _so_ close to successfully completing this task but then Mister Pendragon has to go and –

“Ow!”

 _Oh no_ , Merlin thought. _Please, no._

He slowly turns around to look at the Pendragon boy who’s glaring at him with such distaste in his eyes, Merlin feels like sinking into the ground. The blonde man is rubbing his forehead, a small red spot appearing under his hand in – _of course_ – the shape and size of a marble. His gaze wanders down to the desk in front of the other man, two small, red glass marbles in front of him.

He opens his mouth to apologize but closes it again after remembering their first encounter and the arrogance and condescension with which _Mister Pendragon_ had treated Merlin. The blonde man looks at him with furrowed brows and a quizzical look on his face.

“What are you, a fish?”

Merlin simply snatches his marble from the other guy’s desk and turns around in his seat. He notices the rest of the class staring at him with a mixture of disbelief and amusement on their faces. Shrugging to himself, he places the red marble on his desk and tries to focus on it. He shuts his eyes tight, breathing in and out evenly, trying his hardest to ignore his surroundings and starts to feel the familiar buzzing in his veins again – his magic is aching to be set free, even if just a little and just for a while. Merlin opens his eyes again – and nearly jumps out of his seat. The blonde guy is standing right in front of him, eyes fixed on Merlin, his face twisted in rage.

“Honestly, if you don’t let me focus on the task Mr. Palmer has given us I’ll throw this marble in your face on purpose,” Merlin says exhaustedly. The girl next to him giggles. He looks over to her and catches her blush before she averts her gaze. _She’s pretty_ , Merlin thinks. She has a kind face and dark hair, falling over her shoulders in loose waves. She’s not wearing any makeup and is dressed in simple blue jeans and an oversized “I ♥ NY” sweater. Merlin takes a mental note to talk to her after class – he should be trying to make new friends instead of pissing off _Mister Pendragon_ here even more. He looks back at the blonde man who’s staring at him with disbelief, eyebrows raised to the ceiling and his mouth half-opened.

“Is there a problem, Mister Pendragon?” Mr. Palmer asks, his arms crossed, raising an eyebrow at the blonde man who’s still standing in front of Merlin’s desk.  _Mr. Palmer is definitely alright._

The blonde man looks at their teacher, breathes out through his nose angrily and stomps back to his desk. Merlin rolls his eyes but holds back a sarcastic remark. Really, he just wants to learn something in this class and maybe, just maybe, make this damned marble move. He closes his eyes again and starts to focus for the third time.

\-----*-----

„You should have seen his face!“ Merlin laughs, taking a sip of his tea. After successfully surviving his first day of college, he had decided to pay Gwen a surprise visit at her new job. She seemed to enjoy it. It really was very small but that was the nice thing about it. Nobody came here just to grab a cup of coffee and walk back out the door again. It wasn’t a place people went to be seen. The coffee shop – Rick’s Bean – had something very friendly and casual about it. The owner of the shop, Rick, had opened it just a couple of years ago and it had become the go-to coffee shop for the 1% of people in New York who weren’t constantly in a hurry. It was located in a rather small alley and most people would probably not even notice it. Merlin loved it. The employees were incredibly friendly and open and the people that frequented the coffee shop were just as warm and kind. It was an oasis of tranquility amidst a city buzzing with people.

Gwen chuckles. “So I’m guessing you had a nice day?” she teases him.

Merlin gives her a smile and takes another sip of his tea (which wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be but still not as good as back in England) before answering with a shrug. “It was alright. That blonde bloke is still a prat but I think I actually made a friend already. Her name’s Freya, she’s from around where I grew up actually!”

“Really?” Gwen says with a surprised face. “I guess it _is_ a small world after all …”

“Yeah, she came here just this year as well. She seems to be a bit younger than me but she’s incredibly bright and talented. You should have seen her rolling around her marble!”

Gwen snorts. “That probably sounded more impressive in your head.”

“S’pose it did,” Merlin laughs. “You’d like her, though. She’s very down-to-earth. Never speaks ill about anybody – she even tried defending the Pentagram boy. Although she _did_ chuckle when I told him off.”

At some point, Merlin had taken to calling the blonde man “Pentagram boy” as well. He doesn’t really know why or when it happened but he just thought it sounded funny. Plus, he enjoyed the way it made him sound less important than he seemed to be.

“I wonder who he is,” Merlin says, brows furrowed. “Everybody seems to be a bit intimated by him, like he’s got some sort of power over them. It’s weird.”

Gwen shrugs. “I guess you’ll find out at some point. No use worrying about it now.”

“You’re right,” Merlin says. He looks around the coffee shop and smiles a little. Gwen fits here perfectly. There are small tables with big, comfy chairs around them, taking up almost every square inch of the place – it’s crammed, but it’s … welcoming. The walls are lined with pictures of the owner, the employees, customers. Pictures taken at random times of the day – you can tell they’re not staged. Nothing here is. Merlin looks back at Gwen and takes another sip of his tea, leaning against the counter. He grins as she welcomes a customer with a blindingly bright smile on her face and takes their order. Everything in and about this place is so friendly. He hums along to the music playing in the background. Lonely Cat. The Kooks.

Gwen hands a steaming cup of coffee to the woman standing at the counter. She takes it with a smile, says “Thanks, dear!” and sits down in one of the chairs at the window. Gwen looks back at Merlin. “Where were we?”

“I was actually just about to leave, I’ve got some assignments and homework to do.”

“Already?”

Merlin nods.

“Poor you,” Gwen says sympathetically. “Well, I’m off work at six o’clock. Do you want to go out for dinner tonight? Morgana said she knows a lovely Italian place just around the corner. She’s bringing her friend Arthur along.”

“Sure, sounds great! Maybe I can get on his good side, seeing as he’s the headmaster’s son and all. And having more than one friend at college would be great, too,” he laughs.

Gwen chuckles. “Great, I’ll tell Morgana we’ll be there. See you later!”

“See you!”

Merlin walks out the door with a smile on his face. Pentagram boy aside, New York is turning out to be better than expected.


	4. Pizza, Pasta, Party.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin finds out who Pentagram boy is, gym class is worse than expected and Merlin makes new friends, Gwaine and Percy. Also, Gwen wants to throw a party.

„This is it … I guess,“ Gwen says with a disappointed face. Merlin looks at the door in front of them – old wood, once painted blue but the paint has started to fade, crack and crumble, leaving only the hint of color. The doorknob had probably been gold at some point but over the years it had lost its shine and turned into a muddy brown lump of metal. There was a small sign above the door, the text barely legible. Merlin could only guess the restaurant’s name – Tribacini’s. _Or maybe it says Treeball’s, who knows._

“Well, what are we waiting for? This place looks amazing!” Merlin exclaims with fake enthusiasm. Gwen snorts but opens the door nonetheless.

Merlin nearly stumbles back. The moment he entered the door about a billion different scents hit him square in the face – fresh parsley and tomatoes, cheese, fish, pastries, wine and so many things Merlin had never smelled in his entire life. He looks around and instantly feels at home. The restaurant is tiny and warm, the open kitchen heating up the place immensely. Old Italian songs are playing softly in the background, the sound of guitars filling the air. Gwen and Merlin slowly walk towards the bar where Morgana is waiting for them, looking through the menu and making music with a nearly-empty glass of wine.

“Wow!” Gwen greets her. Morgana lights up. “I knew you’d like it!”

“Like it?” Merlin says, still overwhelmed by the atmosphere in this tiny restaurant that had seemed so unimpressive from the outside. “I love it!” Gwen nods enthusiastically. She instantly starts chatting with Morgana but Merlin isn’t paying attention. He’s slowly spinning around, taking in all scents and sounds. The chairs and tables are small and made of dark wood, the brick walls lined with old photographs and paintings of Tuscany. Five small chandeliers made of dark metal, decorated with intricately interwoven flowers and twigs, illuminate the restaurant not quite enough, giving the illusion of an eternal sunset.

“Merlin?” Gwen asks with a grin.

“Hm?”

“We were going to sit outside in the garden.”

“Yeah, I’ll be with you in a second,” Merlin answers, already heading towards the paintings on the wall. He hears Gwen and Morgana chuckle before leaving through the back door.

Merlin is lost in thought and imagination looking at the pictures, feeling the warm Mediterranean sun on his skin and hearing strange birds sing songs he’s never heard before. Merlin had always wanted to see Italy. He smiles to himself but instantly frowns when he hears a familiar voice behind him, turning around to find no other than Pentagram boy.

“Seriously,” he huffs, “do you follow me around or something?”

The blonde man turns around, a surprised look on his face. “Why the hell would I follow _you_ around? After that stunt you pulled with your marble I’m trying my hardest to stay out of your way so you don’t accidentally hit me with something bigger.”

“Yeah. Accidentally.” Merlin says, a sly grin on his face.

The blonde man narrows his eyes.

“What are you doing here anyway? Are _you_ following me around?”

“No, believe it or not, my life doesn’t revolve around you. I’m here with friends who, come to think of it, are already waiting for me.” Merlin bites back a sarcastic _“Good evening!”_ and turns on his heel, walking out the back door to find Morgana and Gwen clinking their glasses together, heads thrown back in laughter. _They seem to get along pretty well,_ Merlin thinks with a smile. He’s happy to see Gwen settling in so smoothly.

“Did you miss me, ladies?” Merlin asks jokingly, sitting down underneath a canopy lined with colorful, small lanterns.

“Tremendously,” Morgana answers with a playfully scolding tone. Merlin laughs.

“Your friend seems to be running late,” Merlin says, looking at his watch. Morgana puckers her lips, making a face. She shrugs. “He usually is. Sorry ‘bout that.”

Merlin turns around when he hears the back door open to find Pentagram boy walking into the garden. He rolls his eyes, turning to Gwen and is about to say “ _That bloke again.”_ when Morgana jumps up happily, saying “Speak of the devil!” and waves the blonde man over to them.

“Oh no,” Merlin mutters.

“What was that?” Gwen asks.

“Nothing,” he answers quickly. He doesn’t want to make this awkward for anybody, especially Morgana. So when she introduces Pentagram boy as Arthur to him and Gwen, he politely stands up and shakes his hand before sitting back down to look at his menu as if it was the most intriguing novel he’s ever read.

Time seems to be passing extra slowly to mock Merlin who checks his watch every minute. They sit and eat and talk (all except for Arthur and Merlin who are making a point of not talking to each other but only to Gwen and Morgana) until, finally, Gwen claps her hands and sighs contently.

“This has been a lovely evening but I think we should be heading home now, I’ve got work tomorrow morning and I’m pretty sure Merlin’s first class of tomorrow is P.E., so –“

Merlin groans. He forgot P.E. was his first class tomorrow. He’d hated P.E. as a kid – all they ever did in class was do push-ups and run mile after mile after mile.

“I see you’re excited,” Gwen says and winks at him. Merlin frowns at her.

“Oh, Arthur, don’t you have gym class tomorrow morning?” Morgana asks excitedly. Arthur swallows and, to Merlin’s horror, nods.

“Great!” she says happily. “You’ll take good care of Merlin, won’t you?” she asks him teasingly.

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever,” Arthur replies. Merlin tries his hardest not to scream and run out of the restaurant. He’s got a feeling his attitude towards P.E. isn’t going to change.

After paying and saying goodbye for another ten minutes – Gwen and Morgana seem to share a rather profound bond already, Merlin notices happily – they finally head out the door and walk off in opposite directions. Merlin lets out a deep breath and looks at Gwen with an expression of horror and disbelief.

“That was Pentagram boy.”

Gwen looks at him with wide, brown eyes. “Pardon?”

“Arthur. He’s Pentagram boy.”

Gwen blinks. She opens her mouth to say something but closes it again. Finally she starts laughing wholeheartedly.

“Not funny!” Merlin says. “Do you know how hard it was to sit there with a straight face and not pour my wine over his head?”

Gwen chuckles. “It is kind of funny.”

Merlin looks at her. “Yeah,” he chortles. “I guess it is.”

Gwen eventually calms down and Merlin looks at her worriedly. “I’m dreading P.E. tomorrow.”

“Oh, he promised Morgana he’d take good care of you.”

Merlin raises an eyebrow at her.

“Yeah,” Gwen finally says. “I see.”

\-----*-----

P.E. – _no, gym class, it’s called gym class here_ – might not be that bad after all. When Merlin had walked onto the college’s sports field he’d immediately been greeted by two rather nice guys around his age, Gwaine and Percy.

“You’re the new kid, right?” Gwaine had asked him. He had long dark hair, pulled up into a bun and was wearing a navy-blue tracksuit. He had one of the brightest smiles Merlin’s ever seen but, unlike Arthur’s, it reached his eyes when he talked to people. Gwaine seemed to be nice and Merlin was glad to find out not all boys at CEP were prats like Pentagram boy.

“Yeah, just moved here from London.”

“Nice,” Percy had said. His hair was short and of a dirty blonde color. He seemed to be about fifty heads taller and five hundred pounds heavier than Merlin but he soon came to realize that, intimidating though he might seem, Percy was just a big softie. He had a gentle voice and only talked nicely about others, he had asked Merlin how he’d been settling in so far and told him to come to him if there was anything he could do for him. “Doesn’t matter if you need a date or homework or whatever, I just wanna make sure you feel good here. I know New York can be a bit too much at times.”

Merlin has been sitting on a bench with Gwaine and Percy for about half an hour now, talking about life, school, anything that comes to mind. They talk for another ten minutes until Gwaine gets up.

“Class is gonna start soon. Coach is about thirty minutes late now.”

“Is that normal?”

“Yup,” Percy chuckles and puts a hand on his shoulder, nearly crushing him.

A man in his late fifites walks onto the field, wearing a gray tracksuit and a whistle around his throat. His hair is as gray as his clothes but his lean limbs and impeccable posture make him seem at least fifteen years younger. In his right hand he's holding a clipboard, tucked under his left arm is a football. Not the kind Merlin had played with as a kid but the American kind. He gulps. _I’m going to make a fool of myself._ He looks around and inwardly lets out a sigh – Pentagram boy is nowhere to be seen.

Just then he hears the coach shout “Mister Pendragon!”

_Oh, give me a break._

Merlin turns around to see Arthur strutting down the field to where the rest of the class is already gathered around the coach. He flashes one of his trademark fake smiles and comes to stand right next to Merlin who, in return, furrows his eyebrows and shoots an equally quizzical and furious glance in Arthur’s direction. He doesn’t like where this is going.

“Joining us after all, I see,” the coach says in a monotone voice. Merlin holds back a grin, realizing that none of the professors at CEP seem to like Pentagram boy any more than he does.

Arthur just shrugs and turns to look at Merlin, a devilish grin on his face. “I _did_ promise Morgana I’d take good care of you, didn’t I?”

Merlin takes a moment to evaluate if the pain of “accidentally” breaking a bone would be worth not having to see that damned blonde guy’s face anymore when their coach blows the whistle and tells them to stand in a line. Arthur doesn’t leave his side, grinning smugly. Merlin _really_ doesn’t like where this is going.

“1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, …”

Merlin watches the coach divide the class into two teams, alternating between 1 and 2. Which means – _shit._

Arthur’s on the other team.

Merlin doesn’t really pay attention to the coach explaining the game they’re about to play but he’s not really planning on actually playing, anyway. His goal in this class is not to win the game or be a useful member on his team but to avoid Pentagram boy.

He hears the whistle blow again and Merlin silently wishes he could tell Hunith how much he loves her one last time.

\-----*-----

Merlin is sitting on a bench in the changing room, rubbing his head and trying his hardest not to get up and punch Pentagram boy in the face – _let’s be real, he’d knock me out in a heartbeat_ – when his phone buzzes with a text message from Gwen.

_“u up for a party tonight?”_

Merlin doesn’t know if he’s up for anything at this moment. Arthur had taken good care of him. Just not in the way Morgana probably had imagined.

Calling a foul apparently wasn’t an option, Arthur being the headmaster’s son and all. So Pentagram boy kept “accidentally” running into and hitting Merlin. He was sure he’d wake up with at least a dozen bruises tomorrow.

“ _not sure yet. i’ll let u know asap”_

Merlin lets his head fall back against the locker behind him, closes his eyes and sighs.

“What’s Arthur’s deal?”

Merlin opens his eyes to find Gwaine leaning against the locker next to him.

“Well,” he starts, “I literally ran into him on my first day in New York and pissed him off, I guess. I didn’t know who he was until a few days later and even now that I _do_ know I’m not treating him any differently. That’s probably new for him.”

Gwaine laughs. “That’s definitely a first for him, yeah.”

Merlin shrugs and winces at the pain in his shoulder.

“Percy!” Gwaine shouts, leaning around the locker. He joins them and looks at Merlin with a sympathetic expression.

“Ouch,” he says.

“Come on, let’s help him out,” Gwaine says. The two of them walk up to Merlin and put their hands on his head.

“What are you-“ Merlin starts when he realizes what they’re doing. “Are you healing me?”

“See for yourself,” Percy answers and gestures at the mirror on the wall next to them. Merlin gets up to look at his reflection. He looks for the cuts on his forehead and arms and the bruises that had begun to form – but they’re gone. He turns around and looks at Gwaine and Percy in astonishment.

“You two are soulmates.”

“Yup,” Percy confirms, throwing an arm around Gwaine. “Have been for over ten years now.”

“What about you?” Gwaine asks. “You found yours yet?”

“No. Well, yes but … I lost him.”

“Oh,” Percy says silently. “I’m sorry.” Gwaine nods. They don’t ask any more questions. Merlin gives them a thankful smile.

“Anyway,” he starts, not wanting to think about Will now. “My roommate Gwen just texted me and asked if I was up for a party tonight. I’m not really sure what this is all about but do you guys wanna come?”

Gwaine lights up. “Hell yes!”

“Sure,” Percy adds.

“Awesome,” Merlin says. “I’ll text you the details later today!”

He walks out of the changing room with a smile on his face. Merlin's glad he met Gwaine and Percy.

Merlin has to sit through five more classes which he has in common with Arthur who stares at him with a furious expression when he realizes all his injuries are gone. Merlin makes a show of stretching comfortably and grins at Arthur.

Merlin’s sixth and last class for today is “Magical Creatures”. He loves this class – no Pentagram boy. He walks into the classroom and sits down next to Freya.

“Good morning!”

“It’s 3PM,” Merlin says.

“This is my first class today. I just got up,” she explains. Merlin chuckles. “Lucky you.”

They don’t usually talk much and only have two classes in common so they barely even see each other. Merlin doesn’t mind. She’s easy to like and he feels comfortable around her. It’s like he’s known her his entire life.

During class they’re both quiet and pay attention but as soon as Mr. Ellis leaves the room he turns to look at Freya.

“Are you free tonight?”

She blushes and nods shyly. “Why?”

“Gwen asked me if I wanted to go to a party tonight. I thought maybe you’d like to come? Gwaine and Percy are going, too.”

“Who’s Gwen?” Freya asks. “I mean, yes, sure, I’d love to come – go, I’d love to go to a party tonight.”

“Great! I’ll text you the details later. See you!”

Merlin’s still not sure why Freya was acting so weird in class when he walks out of the building and steps into the warm April sun. He takes out his phone and calls Gwen.

“Hi, Merlin!”

“Hey, Gwen! Are you at the coffee shop?”

“I am, yes. You want some tea?”

“I’ll be there in ten. Put the kettle on,” Merlin jokes and hangs up.

\-----*-----

“So, what party?” Merlin asks as he walks through the glass door and up to the counter.

“Well, Gaius is out of town for the weekend so I thought we’d throw a party tonight. Sort of like a housewarming party – except, not really, seeing as it’s not actually _our_ apartment, but still.” She beams at Merlin who's looking at her doubtingly. “Come on, it’ll be fun! There will be lots of people and you’ll make a bunch of new friends and we’re gonna have a great night!”

Merlin grins. He can’t say “no” to Gwen when she’s bubbling with excitement. “Sure,” he says finally. “I’ll text some people from CEP to come over and bring their friends as well.”

“Great!” Gwen nearly shouts, scaring an old man in the corner who looks up from his newspaper with a startled expression. “You’re invited, too, Grandpa!”

Merlin chuckles and sends a text to his friends -  _all three of them, would you look at that._

" _party tonight at my place 8PM - bring alcohol and friends"_


	5. Beg your pardon?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody gets blissfully drunk, Merlin is oblivious to Freya’s feelings and Arthur’s trying to drown his own.

„Can you believe all the shops were still open? It’s almost 8PM!”, Gwen says enthusiastically. “Can you imagine wanting to buy something at this time in your little one-horse town? ” Merlin smiles at her use of that word. Probably something she picked up from Morgana. “I love New York. I love it. I’m going to marry it,” she continues and laughs. Merlin joins in and looks at her fondly. He’s never been happier to have Gwen in his life. She was there for him when he needed her the most and she’s still there for him now that he’s trying to get his life under control again. Gwen’s his anchor and seeing her so happy and confident in this strange new city she’s been dreaming about all her life is everything Merlin could ever wish for.

They had just come home from the liquor store around the corner, Merlin pushing a shopping cart they had conveniently come across on their way to the store and then filled to the brim with beer and wine and anything that had looked somewhat appealing. Gwen is pushing a make-shift cart made out of an empty moving box and her longboard in which they’d thrown all sorts of weird snacks they’d never seen before in their lives. Merlin is more irritated by the beer, though. He’s never heard of any of the brands they ended up buying and is confused by the colorful bottles and labels. _What is that supposed to be, an advertising pillar?_ He shrugs as he unloads the shopping cart, filling the fridge in the process. As much as he disapproves of American beer, he could get used to their fridges. “You could store an entire snowman army in there,” he huffs as he heaves the last two six packs onto the only vacant rack left.

“I don’t know why we bought so much to drink, anyway,” Gwen says, raising an eyebrow at him. “We did tell everybody to bring alcohol, right?”

“Yeah,” Merlin answers. “But I’m a college student and you’re going to be one soon. We need it, trust me.” He winks at Gwen who’s rolling her eyes at him but can’t help but grin. “Whatever you say.”

Merlin closes the fridge door and takes out his phone. “I think I’m going to give mum a call and tell her we’re throwing a party tonight, she’ll be glad to hear we’re settling in alright!”

“Good idea!”

Merlin leaves the kitchen and sits down on the gigantic black leather sofa which has quickly become his favorite place to relax in their apartment. He dials Hunith’s number and waits but hangs up after the tenth ring. “She’s not picking up,” Merlin says to Gwen who had come to sit next to him and is busy putting together a playlist on her laptop for the party. She looks up at him with raised eyebrows. “That’s not like her.”

“No, not really. It’s not even 8PM yet, she’s definitely not slee- oh.”

“Oh?”

“It’s not 8PM back home.”

“Oh. Right. Let me just-“ Gwen puts her hand over Merlin’s face.

“What are you doing?” Merlin asks her in a muffled voice.

“I’m doing the facepalming for you.”

He snorts. “Thanks.” Gwen laughs. “Anytime.”

They’re placing bowls filled with all sorts of snacks on every available surface, putting on some music and getting ready when the first guests arrive at around 9PM. Merlin opens the door to Gwaine and Percy who introduce him to two of their friends, Lance and Leon.

“Nice to meet you,” Leon greets him. He shakes his hand and Merlin nearly winces. He’s sure he felt at least five bones in his hand break. “Likewise,” he answers.

Lance slaps his shoulder. “Nice place you got,” he says.

“Technically, it’s not really my place, but –“

“Thanks!” Gwen chimes in. She’s got her hair in a messy, yet sophisticated bun and is wearing tight black jeans and a loose white blouse. Lance whistles.

“My lady,” he greets Gwen, kissing her hand. “If you were a vegetable you’d be a cute-cumber.”

“I apologize on Lance’s behalf,” Leon says, rolling his eyes and playfully slapping Lance’s arm. “This guy right here thinks he’s smooth.”

“I _am_ smooth!” he counters.

Gwen chuckles. “It’s quite alright.” Merlin’s sure he saw her blush for a second.

They talk for a while and laugh a lot, Gwen obviously growing fonder of Lance by the minute.

“Anyway, before I forget,” Gwaine starts, heading over to where he dropped his bag on the floor, “we brought cups!” He triumphantly holds a stack of bright red cups in the air. Percy, Lance and Leon start cheering while Merlin shoots a confused glance at Gwen who’s shaking her head with raised eyebrows.

“We have cups,” Merlin says, pointing over at a stack of small, white cups on the kitchen counter.

“Yeah but if we don’t aim well and hit them too hard they’ll just fall over and spill beer all over the place,” Leon explains.

Gwen raises an eyebrow. “Why would you hit them?”

Percy opens his mouth in shock. “Guys,” he says. “Guys. I think they’ve never played beer pong.”

Gwaine gasps and Lance pretends to faint.

“What’s beer pong?” Merlin asks.

“Where have you been living for the past, like, ten years?” Gwaine practically shouts, throwing up his arms in exasperation. “Under a rock? On the moon? In North Korea?”

Lance snorts.

“We get it, buddy,” Leon says with a smile.

“Okay, let me explain beer pong to you,” Percy begins, carrying the huge dining room table into the living room. _Wait, how is he carrying that by himself?_

\-----*-----

“Quick, get it!” Gwaine shouts at Merlin who theatrically throws himself onto the floor. “I got it!” He shouts, holding up the ping pong ball as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

Gwen claps, wine glass in hand. Gwaine slaps Merlin on the shoulder and raises his bottle of beer. “Hell yes!”

Only an hour has passed but everybody is already starting to slur their speech. Gwen is giggling non-stop and Leon has started a philosophical debate with Lance about whether or not wine is just grape piss.

Freya arrived with a few friends Merlin had never seen at CEP before, but they seemed nice enough. He can’t remember their names, though. They’re all as quiet as Freya – or maybe they’re just not as loud as the rest of them. Freya never leaves Merlin’s side. She’s not playing beer pong or drinking anything, she’s just standing next to him. Once in a while she’ll clap when Merlin makes a shot but she barely says anything. Merlin was worried that she didn’t feel comfortable at first but now she looks so happy just standing there that he shakes off all doubts.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Gwaine says, shushing everybody. “My boy here needs to focus for his rebound shot.” He turns to Merlin. “You got this, homeboy.”

Merlin laughs and turns his back to the table. He glances over his shoulder and tries to focus. _How the hell am I supposed to aim?_ He tries to guess how much force he’ll need and where he’ll have to aim but ends up simply tossing the ball over his shoulder, thinking _what the hell_.

Leon’s surprised “Woah!” confirms Merlin’s suspicion. He threw way too far.

Merlin quickly turns around just in time to see the front door open and Morgana step aside with a squeal.

He hears the ping pong ball bouncing off Arthur's forehead and onto the floor. “Are you going to keep throwing balls at me?” Arthur shouts across the room and instantly goes red.

“Something you wanna tell us?” Lance shouts back, slapping Merlin on the back and howling with laughter.

“Oh, shut up, Lance,” Arthur replies, walking across the room to greet Gwaine and the rest of the boys with something Merlin can only describe as a “bro hug”. He acknowledges everybody else with a quick nod.

“You made it!” Gwen squeaks in delight, throwing her arms around Morgana who laughs in return.

“Duh,” she replies, “Can’t leave you all alone with the boys here, can I?”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Lance says with a blindingly bright smile.

“That’s what I thought,” Morgana replies, sticking out her tongue.

Merlin walks around the table to greet her with a hug. “Let me get you something to drink,” he says, nearly tripping over Freya as he turns to walk into the kitchen.

“Oh, hey,” he says, laughing awkwardly.

“Hey!” Freya smiles, blocking the doorway.

“Um, do you want something to drink, as well? I was gonna … get something,” Merlin stutters. Freya hasn’t left his side ever since she arrived and Merlin is starting to feel a little uncomfortable. He’s confused, to say at the least.

“Sure!” she says, walking into the kitchen with Merlin.

Merlin takes two beers out of the fridge and is just about to close the door when Freya throws her arms around him and kisses him. Merlin freezes. _I was not expecting that_ , is all he can think. Freya steps back after what feels like an hour, bashfully smiling at Merlin who’s still frozen in place, holding a bottle of beer in each hand. Her smile falters when Merlin doesn’t say anything and keeps staring at her dumbfoundedly. She turns around and storms out of the kitchen, rushing past Arthur who looks at Merlin with such distaste, he has to stop himself from hurling a bottle at his head. Instead, he quickly goes after Freya; after all, they’ve become rather good friends in such a short time and Merlin likes her, he likes her a lot – but that’s it.

He scans the big, open living room quickly but can’t find her anywhere. Merlin is headed towards the front door to see if she’s in the hall outside but is stopped by Gwen.

“What did you do to Freya?”

Merlin opens his mouth in protest and closes it again. “ _I_ didn’t do anything!”

Gwen crosses her arms, giving him the sternest look she can muster in her current intoxicated state. Merlin is even more confused. _What did I do now?_

“She just … kissed me!” he half-whispers, half-shouts.

Gwen rolls her eyes.

“Well, I would have, too! The way you’ve been acting around her when she’s _clearly_ into you!”

“I was just being nice to her, I like her!” he replies, then thinks _"Wait, what did she just say?"_

“You were being nice in the wrong way,” she waves her hands. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“No, obviously I wouldn’t,” Merlin replies, though it sounds more like a question. “I thought we were getting along great, that I might actually end up having a close friend at CEP, like, an ally in the fight against Pentagram douche,” he slurs. Gwen sighs and throws an arm around his shoulder.

“Freya _likes_ you. And she’s been flirting with you all evening!”

“She was just standing next to me all the time; I nearly tripped over her once!”

“Really, Merlin?” Gwen huffs. “Really?”

“What?” Merlin throws his arms up in the air. He’s at a loss of words.

“She was basically undressing you with her eyes and touching you all the time and you just kept smiling at her and whatever,” Gwen explains. “You basically said ‘Yeah, cool, let’s do this’ in subtle-flirt-language.”

“What the hell is subtle-flirt-language?”

“Something you’re obviously not fluent in,” Gwen pats his back sympathetically. “Just call her tomorrow, alright? Talk this out, she’ll be fine.”

“Yeah,” Merlin says.

“Good, now let’s go back to throwing balls in Pentagram douche's face.”

\-----*-----

Considering the fact that Merlin and Arthur ended up being put in a beer pong team together, the party’s going great. People are having a ball – though, to be honest, Merlin doesn’t know who most of them are, friends of friends of friends who just showed up at some point – and Merlin’s glad he and Gwen bought as much booze as they did.

Leon, Arthur and Merlin are currently battling Gwen, Morgana and Lance in “the most intense beer pong game the world has ever seen” – according to Lance. To be fair, they each only have one cup left and Merlin is starting to suspect that they’re all too drunk to actually make a shot. Gwen, however, proves him wrong just a second after that thought occurs to him, leaving him to watch the ping pong ball happily bobbing up and down in the last bright red cup on their half of the table.

“I thought this was never gonna end,” Arthur sighs.

“Tell me about it,” Merlin says. Arthur snorts. Leon chugs the last cup of beer.

The rest of the night goes by in a blur of laughter and music. Lance is still trying to “win Lady Gwen’s heart”, as he calls it, which Gwen finds rather endearing. When she’s not rolling her eyes at Lance and fluttering her lashes she’s giggling with Morgana. Percy made a show of defeating Gwaine at arm wrestling, Leon has taken on the roll of the responsible one in the group, making sure nobody breaks anything and Arthur – _where’s Arthur?_

Not that he cares. Merlin is simply curious as to where he went; he can’t remember seeing him for the past half hour or so. He shrugs to himself and rubs his eyes. He’s starting to feel a little tired and decides to head out onto the roof terrace to get a breath of fresh air.

Merlin steps out into the cool autumn breeze and is surprised by how quiet New York City sounds compared to the tumult in his apartment. He pulls the terrace door shut behind him and walks up to the railing, blissfully looking out over the city that never sleeps. He takes a sip of his beer and nearly chokes in surprise as the voice behind him starts to talk.

“You know, I was fine,” Arthur mumbles. Merlin turns around to find him sitting at the small table next to the terrace door. He didn’t see him there in the shadow when he stepped outside.

“Beg your pardon?” Merlin raises his eyebrows.

“See,” Arthur says, seeming almost upset. “See, that’s what I’m talking about!” He raises the bottle of wine he’s holding in his hand and points it at Merlin. “’Beg your pardon’, I mean,” he huffs. “I was fine!”

“I’m sure you were,” Merlin says, getting more confused by the minute.

Arthur takes a pull on the bottle. “Everything was just as everybody expected,” he opens his arms as if presenting something. “ _I_ was just as everybody expected!”

He gets up and tumbles over to Merlin, pressing his index finger against Merlin’s chest accusingly. “I was the headmaster’s poster child – always the best, always the first, always _perfect_ ,” he nearly spits out that last word.

“But then!” He rams his finger into his chest again. “But then _you_ came along!” He opens his arms again and throws back his head, slowly spinning around in a circle, tripping over his own feet several times in the process. Merlin’s sure it’s meant to be an ironic gesture of some sort but it just looks comical and, considering what Arthur’s been saying so far, rather sad.  He’s not really sure where Arthur is going with this.

“You came along,” he repeats, pointing at Merlin, swaying but still standing. “You and your – your pretty face and your stupid British accent and begging your pardons and whatever.”

“Did you just –“

“Arthur, there you are!” Morgana stumbles onto the terrace, throwing an arm around Arthur, nearly sending them both falling to the ground. She giggles and looks up at Merlin.

“I already said goodbye to Gwen, I was gonna leave now and,” she looks at Arthur and laughs, “I think I’m taking that guy home as well!”

“Yeah,” Merlin laughs awkwardly. “Yeah, you do that.”

He waves goodbye as Morgana drags Arthur through the door who points a finger at him one last time.

“Did he just call me pretty?” Merlin asks himself. Just then his phone buzzes with a text.

“ _hey, sorry about earlier, i hope we’re cool”_

Freya. Merlin smiles in relief, momentarily forgetting about his encounter with a very drunk and very talkative Arthur.

“ _yeah we’re cool, no worries. wanna meet up with gwen & me @ rick's bean tomorrow? coffee’s on me”_

Merlin smiles again when Freya texts back the thumbs up emoji. He heads back inside.


	6. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin's starting to think that maybe, in some way, Arthur might possibly, perhaps not be that bad after all. Just maybe. And he also sort of may be starting to warm up to him. Just a little.

Merlin walks into Rick’s Bean to find Freya already leaning against the counter, deep in conversation with Gwen and Morgana. On the one hand Merlin thinks that meeting up with Freya alone would have been better; they could have talked about everything in private. On the other hand, he doesn’t really feel like having that conversation and – Merlin looks at Freya who smiles at him awkwardly – neither does Freya, as it seems. He goes to lean against the counter next to her and greets everybody with a smile and a “Hi”.

“Hey, Merlin,” Gwen beams. “Morgana had the best idea.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yup,” Morgana says. “I thought we’d hang out at Central Park. Gwen told me you still haven’t been there?”

Merlin shakes his head and Morgana sighs dramatically.

“Well, then it’s about time! The weather’s supposed to hold, so today’s perfect!”

“Sure,” Merlin agrees happily. He looks at Freya. “You in?”

“Sure,” she repeats with a smile.

“Great!” Morgana pulls out her phone. “I’m telling Arthur to come along.”

“Tell him to bring Lance!” Gwen tells her. Morgana forces a smile.

“He’s made an impression, huh?”

“He’s quite something,” Gwen giggles.

Morgana’s fingers fly across the screen – Merlin has never seen anybody text that quickly. She puts her phone back in her pocket.

“I told him to bring the boys,” she says. “The more, the merrier!” Merlin doesn’t think she means it.

\-----*-----

Half an hour later they’re sitting in a circle, Merlin and Gwen barely containing their excitement. They’ve never seen anything like Central Park before. Sure, Hyde Park is huge but it’s not the same. Merlin looks around and shakes his head.

“What?” Morgana laughs.

“It’s just,” Merlin pauses. “It blows my mind. Ten minutes ago there were cars honking around us and people shouting across the street and now,” he opens his arms and gestures at everything around him, “I can’t hear anything. It’s as if New York has suddenly disappeared.”

Morgana giggles. “Yeah, it’s magic.”

“How does that even work?” Merlin shakes his head again.

“No, really,” Morgana answers. “It’s magic.”

“Oh”, Merlin says. “Well, that explains everything.”

Gwaine puts a hand on his shoulder and smiles at him sympathetically.

“If it’s too much for you we can always head back home,” he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Oh, shut up,” Merlin laughs and pushes Gwaine’s hand off his shoulder.

Merlin looks around and smiles to himself. He’s starting to feel at home in New York. He’s starting to feel like he belongs. Merlin looks at Gwen who’s already joking with Morgana. Freya’s been talking to Leon ever since he arrived and he seems to be rather fond of her. Merlin smiles.

A few minutes later Lance arrives with a guitar slung around his shoulder. He kicks off his shoes and sits down next to Gwen, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek. Gwen laughs and blushes. Merlin chuckles as Morgana gets up to throw her empty can of Coca Cola away and sits back down between Gwen and Lance. He’s starting to think that, as oblivious as he had been to Freya’s feelings, Gwen is blind to Morgana’s. Merlin is highly considering sending her a text to make her aware of the fact that Morgana has been trying to flirt with her from the moment they had first met when Lance begins to play “Mardy Bum” by Arctic Monkeys.  A smile spreads across Merlin’s face. _I’m definitely feeling at home._

Then Arthur starts singing.

The way he’s trying to copy Alex Turner’s ridiculously British accent is hilarious, to be honest, but his voice – Merlin realizes his mouth has fallen open and quickly snaps it shut. His voice is far from perfect but there is something about the way Arthur gets lost in the song and seems to forget about everything else around him that sends shivers up and down his spine.

“Watch out, Arthur,” Gwen says after the song is over. “Merlin might just fall in love with you for singing Arctic Monkeys.”

“Please don’t,” Arthur replies. Merlin rolls his eyes at Gwen and laughs.

The next five hours are spent singing more songs, ordering pizza – Merlin still finds it remarkable that the delivery man found them in the middle of Central Park – and laughing so much that Merlin’s stomach hurts when the sun goes down.

“We should probably head home before it gets dark,” Morgana says.

“Or we could go to my place,” Arthur adds.

“Or we could do that,” she agrees. Gwen is already packing her bag and gets up. “So?” She says. “What are we waiting for?” _Always ready to go._ Merlin chuckles.

\-----*-----

“What do you do when the lift is out of service?” Gwen asks Arthur when they get out on the 72nd floor.

“When the _elevator_ is out of service,” Arthur replies, emphasizing the word ‘elevator’. Gwen rolls her eyes and laughs. “Fortunately, that’s never happened and I don’t even want to imagine what I’d do.” He furrows his eyebrows. “Definitely not take the stairs.” Gwen laughs sympathetically.

Arthur has been really nice so far and Merlin is starting to think that maybe he’s sick. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen Arthur not be a douche for longer than five minutes. Maybe it’s because he’s around people he likes – well, _mostly_ likes.

Arthur opens the front door to his apartment. “Welcome,” he says, holding the door open for them to come inside.

“Woah,” Gwen whispers. Merlin couldn’t have said it better. If he thought Gaius’ apartment was luxurious then Arthur’s apartment was straight out of an episode of MTV’s _Cribs_. The floor is white marble and the walls of his apartment are lined with expensive-looking paintings. His living room is two stories high and the wall facing west is entirely made out of glass, granting Merlin the most astonishing view of his life: New York City from above, the sun going down in the distance. He doesn’t even bother closing his mouth this time.

“Make yourself at home,” Arthur tells them, kicking off his shoes and heading towards the massive living room. Gwaine shoves Merlin a little, telling him to “get a move on, I want a beer” and he laughs. After they’ve all entered the apartment, Merlin and Gwen still obviously astounded by the luxury of it, Lance plops down on the gigantic black sofa in the middle of the room. “And now?” he asks. Arthur shrugs and looks to the others.

“Movie night?” Morgana suggests. Gwen beams. “Yay!”

“I guess that settles it then,” Arthur says with a grin. _I don’t trust this – why is he so nice?_

While Gwen and Morgana are sifting through Arthur’s movie collection (Merlin gave up counting how many DVDs there are when Leon started throwing random numbers at him to mess with his head) while Arthur is in the kitchen preparing snacks. Freya and Leon made it their mission to find all the alcoholic beverages in Arthur’s apartment and Gwaine, Percy and Lance are playing football with what looks like a huge lump of chewing gum. When Merlin asked what that thing was, Percy looked at him with a straight face and said “art.” Merlin’s not sure whether he believes him or not. In any case, art seems like a better answer than “a huge lump of chewing gum”.

With nothing to do Merlin strolls around the first floor of Arthur’s apartment, looking at the paintings on the walls and remembering their night out at Tribacini’s and the beautiful paintings in the restaurant, all warm and natural. Arthur’s paintings are nothing like them – they’re rough, almost angry, specks of color in random places that somehow make sense. Merlin is especially intrigued by a red and black painting that hangs next to the arch that leads to the kitchen. He furrows his eyebrows, contemplating the piece of art.

“I didn’t take you for a connoisseur,” Arthur says, startling Merlin. Arthur laughs. “Don’t run away, it’s just me.” He patronizingly pats Merlin’s shoulder. Merlin, in turn, rolls his eyes.

“I’m not,” he explains. “I just like art.”

“You don’t look the kind.”

Merlin raises his eyebrows. “Should I be flattered or offended?”

Arthur snorts. “This one’s my favorite,” he says, nodding at the red and black painting Merlin’s strangely intrigued by.

“It’s quite something,” Merlin agrees. “Though I’m not sure what to think of it.”

“Well, that’s the point,” Arthur says. “The viewer’s supposed to be conflicted.”

Merlin shrugs. “I wouldn’t say I’m conflicted,” he starts. “But in the end it doesn’t really matter what I think, right? It’s what the artist’s thoughts were when he painted this that count.”

“Well, I can’t remember what exactly I was thinking. But my intentions were ‘These color bottles are almost empty and they’re gonna dry out if I don’t use them so I better paint something.’” Arthur nods to himself. “Mission accomplished.”

“Wait,” Merlin says. “You made that?”

“I made all of these.”

“You’re either incredibly skilled or incredibly full of yourself.”

“Why not both?” Arthur answers, winking at him as he turns around and heads back to the kitchen. Merlin can’t help but smile a little. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think Arthur was an alright guy.

\-----*-----

“Scoot over, will ya?” Arthur says, a tray of snacks in his hands that he’s trying to balance while sitting down. Merlin moves a little.

“Need a hand?”

Arthur rolls his eyes. “Do I _look_ like I need a hand?”

Gwaine laughs. “Yup.”

“Shut up, Gwaine,” Arthur laughs. He sets the tray down on the coffee table with a triumphant “Ha!” and leans back with his arms crossed. “Told you.”

Morgana grins devilishly. “Hate to break it to you, Arthur,” she starts, “but you’re the only one who knows how to work this Starship Enterprise technology of yours that you call a DVD-player.”

Arthur takes a deep breath and turns his head to look at her. “You’re terrible.”

“Love you, too.”

He gets up reluctantly to get the remote controls ( _Why would you need five remotes?_ ) and turns on the television and DVD-player. Then he laughs. “ _Sharknado_?” he asks incredulously as he holds up the movie that Gwen and Morgana had previously chosen. They both shrug innocently.

“I’ve never seen that movie,” Gwen replies.

“You’re not missing out on anything. It’s terrible, “ Arthur snorts.

“Then why do you have it?”

Arthur opens his mouth to say something but closes it again. “It’s hilariously terrible,” he finally says. Merlin laughs.

Arthur flops back down on the sofa next to Merlin with a dramatic sigh. “If anybody needs anything,” he makes a sweeping motion, “you can get it yourself.”

“Charming as always, “ Morgana teases. Arthur winks at her. _He can be charming if he wants to,_ Merlin admits to himself and immediately shakes his head.

“You having a seizure or what?” Arthur asks with a raised eyebrow. _Scratch that._

During the movie they’re mostly quiet, only commenting how ridiculous this or that scene was and reaching for snacks and drinks. Merlin doesn’t think he’ll ever get up from this sofa again, it’s like he’s been consumed by it. He glances over at Arthur and grins. He’s half sitting, half lying on the sofa as well, his body slumped at the same angle as his.

Arthur was right. Sharknado _is_ a terrible movie. The end credits start rolling across the scene and Gwen gets up from her seat, clapping sarcastically.

“That,” she says, pretending to wipe away a tear from the corner of her eye, “was by far the worst movie I’ve ever seen.” She looks over at Arthur, taking a bow and blowing a kiss. “Thank you.”

Arthur nods at her, tipping his non-existent hat and they all start laughing.

“Alright,” Gwaine says and claps his hands together once, “I need a _proper_ horror movie after this one.”

“Oh no,” Merlin murmurs. He hates horror movies.

Arthur bumps his shoulder against Merlin’s. “Don’t be scared, princess, I’ll keep you safe.” Merlin flutters his lashes and blows him a kiss.

That’s the first time he sees Arthur smile. Well, he’s seen him smile plenty of times, but never like this. This time it’s a from-the-bottom-of-his-heart-touching-his-eyes-and-lighting-up-the-room kind of smile. Merlin’s heart skips a beat. He smiles back just as genuinely.

Something with zombies, that’s what’s happening on the screen, but Merlin doesn’t really notice much of the movie. He’s still distracted by the image of Arthur smiling popping up in his head every other second and he’s starting to feel like an idiot. He definitely does _not_ think that Arthur is probably the most beautiful guy he’s ever seen. And he also definitely did _not_ just blush when Arthur playfully threw an arm across his chest as if to protect him from the zombies during one rather bloody scene.

He also most definitely does _not_ notice Arthur’s leg touching his own and if he moves a bit closer to Arthur during the movie, that’s just because the sofa is that comfortable, not because he’s attracted to him and his insanely mouth-watering cologne.


End file.
